Richardson ISD board adopts 2026–27 budget, plans $9M transfer from permanent school fund

The Richardson ISD Board of Trustees adopted the district's 2026–27 budget on June 4 and approved a one‑time $9,000,000 transfer from the RISD local permanent school fund to the general fund to help cover employee raises and buy time to implement planned budget reductions.

Assistant Superintendent of Finance David Pate told trustees the budget was built using a 39¢ interest & sinking (I&S) tax assumption tied to Bond 2025 and that administration expects to finalize the tax rate at a later meeting in September once certified values are released. Pate highlighted enrollment pressures and revenue drivers: "We've lost about 800 kids since the snapshot date," he said, and the district is conservatively projecting 0% taxable value growth for 2026–27 pending certified values. The board approved the adoption and related motions by recorded voice/hand raise, with the budget and the fund‑transfer motions each passing 7–0.

Pate also described planned efficiencies totaling about $25.7 million and a targeted multiyear approach to close the remaining gap. Superintendent Tabitha Branham stressed the decision to use the permanent school fund was part of a broader strategy to preserve positions while the district seeks recurring savings: "Being able to access this permanent school fund and give us another year to continue to find those reductions in a way that we feel like still honors our teachers ... is critical," she said. Trustees asked for regular monthly updates and were told any future amendments will come to the board at its monthly meetings.

What comes next: administration will update the board after certified property values are released, finalize the district's compressed tax rate with TEA in August, and bring an actual tax‑rate adoption (and any related budget adjustments) at the September meeting.